Mobile communication networks include defined areas such as location areas, registration areas, routing areas, and tracking areas. A defined area is associated with one or more base stations to provide network access to mobile devices. To identify the defined areas to mobile devices, network devices transmit lists of the defined areas to the mobile devices in network messages. For example, a list of defined areas may be transmitted in a TRACKING AREA UPDATE response, an ATTACH response, or a ROUTING AREA UPDATE response. The list may be associated with any type of defined area, including a LOCATION AREA identity list, TRACKING AREA IDENTITY list, or a ROUTING AREA IDENTITY list.